Screen



Jan. 10, 1961 L. c. BIXBY 2,967,620

SCREEN INVENTOR.

3'5 7 aw c. B/XBY United States Patent SCREEN Leon C. Bixby, 234 Elm St., Wellington, Ohio Filed Dec. 10, 1956, Ser. No. 627,263

11 Claims. (Cl. 209-395) This invention relates to a screen construction and more particularly to screens utilized for coal washing or sizing purposes or the like.

A screen assembly of the type herein disclosed may comprise one or more screen sections mounted on a vibratory support. Each section comprises a plurality of metal rods or wires of narrow width and relatively great length supported by spaced parallel cross bars.

' The wires are spaced one from another so as to permit construction which may be assembled in such a manner that the mesh or porosity of the screen is accurately and permanently determined.

A further object of this invention is to provide a screen construction which may be readily disassembled for repair or replacement of parts, Without in any way damaging the remaining parts of the screen assembly.

Other objects and advantages reside in the construction of parts, the combination thereof, the method of manufacture and the mode of operation, as will become more apparent from the following description.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of the preferred embodiment of the screen assembly with parts broken away and shown in section.

- Figure 2 is a fragmentary, enlarged, end elevational view of the preferred embodiment with parts shown in section.

Figure 3 is a sectional view taken substantially along the line 33 of Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a fragmentary, end elevational view of a first modification with parts shown in section.

Figure v5 is a fragmentary, end elevational view of a second modification.

Figure 6 is a fragmentary bottom plan view of the first modification.

Figure 7 is a slightly enlarged, fragmentary, perspective view of a wire element and attached spacer element employed in the second modification.

Referring to the drawings in detail, the preferred emhodiment of this invention, as illustrated in Figures 1,

'2, and 3, comprises a plurality of spaced, parallel, elongate wire elements 10 of T-shaped cross-section supported by spaced parallel'cylindrical support rods 12,

. extending normally to the longitudinal'axis of the indi- "vidual wire elements 10. These wire elements 10 may the first modification, the coil spring 22 is first placed Patented Jan. 10, 1961 Each of the wire elements 10 is coined along the lower margin thereof at intervals corresponding to the spacing between support rods 12, so as to provide arcuate recesses in the flange portion 20 of the wire element, the recesses being adapted to snugly engage the support rods 12. The flange portion 20 corresponds to the leg of the T-shaped wire element 10, and may be referred to as such in the appended claims.

As a result of the coining operation arcuate tapered shoulders 14 are formed on either side of the wire elements. These shoulders 14 may be cutoff to a desired projective length at the same time the margin of the wire is coined. i

In assembling the screen of Figure *1, a plurality of annular spacer elements 16 is placed upon each support rod 12. The number of spacer elements placed upon each support rod 12 is numerically one greater than the number of wire elements to be supported by the rod 12. A wire element is then positioned between each adjacent pair of spacer elements.

As clearly shown in Figures 1 and 2, the ends of the support rods 12 are threaded to receive nuts 18. The nuts 18 are utilized to compress the sandwiched wire and spacer elements together 'such that the spacer elements 16 seat upon the shoulders 14, the ends of the spacer elements 16 abutting the upright flange portions 20 of the wire e1ements'10.

In this manner the wire elements 10 and spacers 16 are secured to the support rods 12 in interlo'cking,rela tion, so that once the nuts 18 have been tightened into place, neither the wire elements nor the spacers may be removed. It is to be noted that the spacer elements 16 accurately determine the distance between adjacent wire elements 10.

As illustrated in Figure 3, the internal diameter of the spacer elements 16 corresponds approximately to the diameter of the support rod 12 plus the maximum thickness in section of the shoulder portions 14.

The screen section formed in the aforesaid manner may be secured within a suitable supporting frame, not shown, for use in washing, draining, and sizing operations, as desired. If, at any time, one or more elements of the screen become damaged or'deformed, the damaged or deformed parts may be repaired or replaced simply by removing the screen assembly from its supporting frame and loosening and removing the nuts 18.

A first modification of the screen assembly is illustrated in Figures 4 and 6. In this modification the spacer elements 16 of the preferred embodiment are replaced by a coil spring element 22. In assembling upon a support rod 12 in a relaxed state. The coined wire elements 10 are then positioned on the support rods, there being one wire element positioned between each pair of adjacent convolutions of the spring 22.

Washers 24 are placed at either end of the coil spring 22 then the coil spring is compressed by nuts 18, so as to draw the meshed spring and wire elements into a tight sandwich, with the individual convolutions of the spring 22 seating upon the shoulders 14 of the wire elements 10. The individual convolutions of the spring 22 serve to accurately space the upright flanges 20 of the wire elements 10.

As clearly illustrated in Figure 4, the compressive force applied by the nuts 18 deforms the spring 22, en abling the wire element 10 to extend in spaced parallel relation.

, As emphasized in connection with the preferred embodiment, the'first modification may be readily distassembled for repair and replacement of damaged or de formed parts.

Figures 5 and 7 illustrate a second modification,

wherein spaced wire elements 26 are intermeshed with annular spacer elements 28 and secured to cross bars or support rods 12. As clearly shown in the figures, each wire element 26 is welded to an adjacent spacer element 28. The individual wire elements 26 are coined at 30, as illustrated in Figure 7 to provide an 'arcuate recess for engaging the support rod :12. In assembling the screen of the second modification, the wire "elements 26 and spacer elements 28 are :first sandwiched upon the support rods 12 then compressed between suitable nuts 18. Finally adjacent wire elements and washers are welded together. This welded construction eliminates the need for the :arcuate shoulder portions 14 which were formed on the wire elements -'of rthe preferred embodiment.

The screen assembly of the second modification may be disassembled when necessary for repair :or replacement of damaged parts. ln connection with the second modification it is to be noted that the provision of armate coined recesses in the wire elements 26 is optional, inasmuch as a welded screen assembly ofiadequate structural strength and durability can be obtained without coining the lower marginal portions of the wire :ele- 'ments 26.

Although the preferred embodiment of the device has been described, it will be understood that within the purview of this invention various .changes maybe made in the form, details, proportion and arrangement of parts, the combination thereof and mode lot-operation, which generally stated consist in a device capable of carrying outthe objects set forth, .as disclosed and defined in the appended claims. I

Having thus described my invention I claim:

1. A wire screen including, in combination, a supporting rod, means providing a plurality of like annular spacer elements distributed in substantially equispaced relation on said rod, a plurality of longitudinal wire elements disposed in substantially coplanar relation, said wire elements being positioned to one side of said supporting rod in non-surrounding relation thereto and extending substantially normal to said supporting rod, there being one said wire element sandwiched between each pair of adjacent spacer elements on said rod, means interengaging each said wire element with an adjacent spacer element, and .means for compressing the sandwiched spacer elements and wire together whereby said wires are positioned .in eqnispaced relation between said spacer elements.

2. The wire screen according to claim 1, wherein the means interengaging each-said wire element with an ad jacentspacer element includes a welded joint between each wire element and an adjacent spacer element.

3. 'The wire screen according to claim 1, wherein the means providing .a plurality of spacer elements .on said rod comprises a coil spring, each convolution of said coil spring being one spacer element.

4. A wire screen comprising, in combination, a pair of spaced parallel cylindrical supporting rods, a plurality of annular spacer elements disposed on each said rod, a plurality of non-intersecting wire elements disposed in substantially coplanar relation intermeshed with said spacer elements, said wire elements extending substantially normal to said spaced supporting rods, the construction and arrangement being'such that one spacer element on each'said support .rod .is provided between each pair'o'fadjacenfwire elements, eachsaid wire element having arcuate recesses spaced along one margin thereof at intervals corresponding to the spacing between support rods,'said recessessreceiving said .support rods, means interengaging each said wire element with an adjacent spacer element, .and means for compressing said intermeshed wire elements and spacer elements together wherebythe length of said spacer elements determines the spacing between adjacent wire elements.

5. A wire-screen according ';-to claim 4, wherein the means interengaging each said wire element with an adjacent spacer element comprises a welded joint between each wire element and an adjacent spacer element.

6. A wire screen comprising, in combination, a pair of cylindrical support rods arranged in spaced parallel relation, a plurality of substantially annular spacer elements disposed on each said support rod, there being an equal number of spacer elements positioned on each said rod, a plurality of wire elements disposed in non-intersecting substantially coplanar relation adjacent said support bars, there being one wire element sandwiched between each pair of adjacent spacer elements on each support bar, each wire element extending substantially normal to said support bars and having a length greater than the distance between said support bars, each said wire element having arcuate coined portions along one margin thereof disposed at an interval equal to the spacing between support bars and adapted to engage the peripheryof said support bars, apair of opposing shoulder portions projecting laterally from each wire element adjacent each coined portion therein, said spacer elements seating upon said shoulder portions so as to interlock with said wire elements, and means for compressing the sandwiched spacer elements and wire elements together upon each said support rod whereby the length of said spacer elements determines the spacing between adjacent wire elements.

7. A wire screen according to claim 6, wherein the spacer elements positioned upon the support rods each comprise one convolution of a coil spring, there being one spring coiled about each support rod.

8. A wirescreen according to claim 6, wherein the wire elements are of T-shaped cross-section, the construction and arrangement being such that the flange portions corresponding to the legs of the T shaped wire elements project normally from said supportrods and are each sandwiched between adjacent spacer elements.

9. A wire screen comprising, in combination a pair-oi parallel cylindrical supporting rods 9 defining a first plane, a plurality of parallel wire elements defining a second plane parallel to said first plane, said wire elements each having a substantial T-shaped cross section with the flange corresponding to the leg of the T-section projecting normally between said parallel planes, said flanges each having spaced arcuate recesses in the margins thereof conforming to the curvature of saidsupporting rods, there being one arcuate recess in each flange for each supporting rod, said supporting rodsseating in :said recesses, a plurality of annular spacer elements disposed slidably on each supporting rod, there being one spacer element located between the normallyiprojecting flanges of each pair of adjacent wire elements, rmeans interengaging each said 'wire element with 'an :adjacent spacer element on each supporting rod, and means for compressing the flanges and the wire elements together whereby the length of the spacer elements determines the spacing between the wire elements.

10. The wire screen according to claim 9"wherein the means interengaging each said wire element Withan adjacent spacer element comprises a welded joint therebetween.

11. A wire screen including a plurality of parallel sup port rods, a plurality of non-intersecting Wire elements disposed in substantially coplanar relation and positioned to one side of-said support rods in non-surroundingrelation thereto, said wire elements extending substantially normal to the support rods, annular spacer-elements disposed on said support rods adjacent saidwire elements. means interengaging each wire element with thespacer rods t'o' fix'the spacing-of said wireelements.

(References on following page) References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Thompson Apr. 29, 1884 Prinz Apr. 3, 1888 5 Bowen Aug. 15, 1905 Hoover Aug. 26, 1919 Wiseman Sept. 9, 1919 6 Hiller July 14, 1925 Johnson May 17, 1932 Edgington July 11, 1939 Bixby July 16, 1940 FOREIGN PATENTS Great Britain Jan. 15,- 1931 

